This invention relates to executing a program stored on a device installed in a computer slot.
Devices, such as cartridges, can be inserted into computer slots, such as PC (Personal Computer) card slots. Computer programs and data stored on those devices can then be read and/or executed by the computer.
In general, in one aspect, this invention relates to executing a program stored on a device inserted into a computer slot. This aspect of the invention features determining how to execute the program based on configuration data stored on the device, and executing the program in accordance with the configuration data.
Among the advantages of this aspect of the invention may be one or more of the following. Determining how to execute the program allows the computer to execute the program in a number of different ways. For example, the program can be executed with no operating system, using a small operating system (SOS) such as WindowsCE, or using a main operating system (MOS) such as Windows98. The computer can also determine if the application is to be executed xe2x80x9cin placexe2x80x9d, meaning that it is executed on the device itself, or if the program must be copied to computer memory before execution. By making such determinations beforehand, it is possible to allocate computer resources that are appropriate for the cartridge and, thus, reduce wasted resources.